After almost 30 years since last playing one of his most iconic roles, Michael Keaton could return as Batman in the standalone The Flash movie starring Ezra Miller. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Keaton is in talks to reprise his role as the Caped Crusader for It director Andy Muschietti. According to the report, Keaton might even appear in future DC Comics movies in a sort-of Nick Fury way, like a The Avengers-type scenario. This would be a major casting coup for the DCEU, especially after Ben Affleck’s time as the Dark Knight, which garnered mix reviews in Batman V Superman and Justice League.
While the potential Keaton casting is surprising on its own, it would also indicate a notable development for The Flash. The movie has been in development hell for several years, and Miller’s future as the movie version of the speedster was called into question when he was filmed throttling a woman at a bar in Iceland in April 2020. However, no charges were filed in that incident.
There’s also the issue of Keaton’s role as the Vulture in the Sony/Marvel Spider-Man films. After his character appeared in the Morbius trailer, some speculated that Keaton could be the evil Nick Fury of that cinematic universe by putting together the Sinister Six for a future showdown with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Does this potential Batman role rule that out? Marvel and DC Comics haven’t been adverse to sharing on-screen talent, so that’ll be interesting to watch.
As for recent rumors that Jeffrey Dean Morgan will appear in The Flash as the Flashpoint version of Batman, that remains a possibility, and if that movie does (as rumors suggest) involve the DC Multiverse, that means literally anything can happen.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter, /Film, The Wrap)
